Employment stats are mixed results

Wakefield Job Centre.

NEW employment figures show that more people are in work than ever before.

But in Yorkshire and the Humber, more young people are finding themselves out of work for long periods of time.

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics show a rise in employment in the region of 19,000 people in work to nearly 2.5m compared with last quarter.

Over the past year, employment has risen by 43,000.

Unemployment has fallen by 9,000 to 253,000 people aged over 16 out of work, and the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has fallen by 1,000 to 163,000.

While the figures suggest things are looking brighter for our region, another set of results shows long-term youth unemployment in Yorkshire and the Humber is now the third highest in the country.

Research by the TUC shows nearly 52,000 people aged between 16 and 24 were out of work for six months or longer from April to June this year – an increase of 29 per cent from the same period two years ago.

The region has also seen the second largest drop in funding for people out of work, with more than £13m cut from budgets, according to the TUC.

The TUC’s regional secretary, Bill Adams, described long-term youth unemployment as a ticking time bomb for the region’s finances.

He added: “It is deeply concerning that Yorkshire and Humber, which has been so hard hit by youth unemployment, is seeing such a steep drop in financial support for jobless youngsters.”